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Cookie Monster Face

You know how when you feed a baby, you kind of mouth the eating motions with the baby? Open wide you say while steering a spoonful of strained peas toward the reluctant baby’s mouth. You open your mouth wide to mimic how you want him to receive this delectable bite. Nom nom nom you might say while pantomiming the Cookie Monster’s constantly open mouth, attempting to coax the little one to open his mouth just enough to accept the spoonful of nourishment. He finally responds, wrapping his lips loosely around the spoon, and you mimic the enveloping gesture, slurping with him as the food sloshes from the spoon into his mouth.

Apparently, when you video call your grand baby, you mimic his gestures in much the same way. (See exhibits A-D.) It’s been several weeks since I’ve been able to see or hold my grand kids, so I treasure these far and few between video-calls. I was so glad to finally figure out how to capture images in Google Duo, (or maybe it was just a recent update). I didn’t know that it would show both of us side-by-side like this. I didn’t even realize I was making the same faces as him until I was showing the pictures to my husband later in the evening. I miss my kids and grand kids so much! I know (at least I hope) it will only be a few more weeks until the worst of the corona-virus has passed and we can resume some level of normalcy in our lives. 

I really do understand the desire to return to our pre-quarantine lives. Some of my recent blog posts have discussed the importance of maintaining social distancing practices to help reduce the spread of this virus. Those posts have come from deep concern as well as a mutual desire to establish a new post-quarantine normal. I want more than anything to ignore the CDC recommendations, or to at least make exceptions for my children and grandchildren. But until the new positive cases of COVID-19 take a serious dive, I feel that it’s in the best interest for all of us. I’m afraid it will be at least a few more weeks until that happens.

The Daily Iowan’s update this morning showed new positive cases of COVID-19 near 800 for the second day in a row. I realize that the governor of Iowa thinks it’s okay to begin a new normal throughout most of the state, but I disagree. The privilege of seeing and holding my grandkids is not worth the risk of spreading or contracting the disease. Henry is only eight-months old. My husband is diabetic. I have asthma. We are all at high risk, and should any of us be exposed, it could impact us more severely than it could affect those not at high risk.

For the duration, I will continue to find ways to stay in touch with my friends and family. I will make faces with Henry and talk about video games with Vince that he can’t remember playing. I will celebrate birthdays on Zoom and connect with classmates on Zoom. It will be worth it to keep all of us healthy in the end.